Involvement in student career clubs significantly enhances job prospects by fostering innovation, proactivity, teamwork, and other essential soft skills. USAID’s Private Sector Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education Activity is supporting student clubs by offering experiential learning opportunities and complementing undergraduate studies to prepare students for the job market.
At the University of Prishtina, a workshop sponsored by USAID and Polymaths recently led to the formation of a club focused on cloud computing. Members of the club competed along with 300 students globally for leadership roles with Amazon Web Services (AWS). 87 students worldwide won the roles and one of them Alena Rama, a second year computer science student, will lead the first-ever AWS Cloud Club for the Western Balkans.
" I look forward to expanding the club's outreach to students in Kosovo, allowing us all to benefit from invaluable lessons that will enhance our university studies and prepare us for our future careers." noted Alena Rama, 2nd-year Computer Science Student at University of Prishtina.
This year, with USAID's support, 8 student clubs were established in the agriculture and information and communication technology (ICT) fields across University of Prishtina, University of Peja, and University of Prizren. These clubs have garnered significant interest, with over 300 students participating in events so far. In particular, the ICT clubs have demonstrated remarkable dedication and talent serving as a model for other clubs.
USAID efforts to support promising student career clubs are facilitating partnerships between industry and academia, fostering economic growth. This work demonstrates the power of collaboration between universities and the private sector to set students up for career success and nurture a proactive professional community in Kosovo's ICT and agriculture sectors.
Kosovo Education Center for USAIDKosovo